Fire Plus Water (212)

[GateWorld]

LOST SEASON TWO FIRE PLUS WATER EPISODE NUMBER - 212 Charlie is haunted by surreal dreams that convince him Claire's baby, Aaron, is in danger -- leading Locke to suspect that he is using drugs again. VISIT THE EPISODE GUIDE >>

[Cinephilic TV Addict]

Nothing really special about this episode. It sets up potential for future ones, but is really just lackluster in itself.

Lost is really headed towards jumping the shark. It could be argued that it already has.

[GatetheWay]

What a boring episode. It didn't tell us anything we didn't know or could guess. I like Charlie a lot but this episode was a real yawn. I was expecting something really cool to happen near the end but all we got was a cop out ending. Bummer.

Next week looks MUCH more promising.

[Vee]

I agree that this was a very boring episode. Hardly anything at all happened. The only significant thing that we learned is that Aaron might be in danger at some point. Was it really necessary to devote an entire hour to develop this one potential problem?

Charlie's flashbacks were dull. We already knew his brother cleaned up his act. I didn't feel that we learned anything really new here. Didn't we already have an ep where we saw Charlie's brother as an addict and then saw him sober and clean? This seemed like almost the same flashback in a way.

The subplot with Libby and Hurley was cute.

Overall, this episode just didn't do anything for me. After watching it, I felt like someone who was expecting some delicious homemade lasagna for dinner, only to get leftover meatloaf.

[d3u5]

Boooooring....

[Tok'Ra Hostess]

Yeah, but... man! Locke punching out Charlie! That was different.

And just why did Locke keep the drugs? I thought that was one interesting take when Locke was putting his water bottle into the bag full of Our Lady of Addiction that he stopped short and stared for a few seconds. Is Locke addicted to drugs, too?

Painkillers, maybe, from whatever caused him to be paralysed? Addictions are like that; you can convince yourself that you're over it, that you don't need drugs anymore, yet, you take comfort knowing they are within easy reach. I think it would be a real twist if it turned out Locke was more like Charlie than we thought.

As for Charlie's dreams, I thought they were pretty wild. The lighting/makeup on the Mother Mum and Mother Claire angels was fantastic, giving their faces that porcelained look of religious iconography. And there was real danger for the baby. He could have drowned him(and in this show, he really could have drowned him.

So, was it an effect of the drugs(which I'm convinced he's not using, ATM) or is it the island getting into Charlie's head?

I also wonder if this ep will tie in to the Crazy French Chick, Danielle's story. She did kidnap Aaron, and judging from the scratches on her forearm she was somehow involved with Claire's abduction as well.

Personally, I liked the backstory for Charlie. We understand his burden a little better; he's the son/brother who was supposed to free his family from their miserable existence and he failed.

I liked the ep.

[FoolishPleasure]

This one was dull, but I think it set up some things for down the road. Can't hit a home run every week.

My husband thinks Charlie has another stash somewhere - he says every good "user" has more than one hidden stash (how he knows this. . um, should I fret? *LOL*). Now, is Charlie using, or is he just going nuts? And why did Locke hide the statues instead of destroying them?

Eko steals every scene he is in. A very cool addition.

[Oblivion147]

I was not looking forward to this episode especially after seeing the previews, however I have to admit I quite enjoyed it. It was slow paced and nothing really happened but It was nice to see more background for Charlie and to be honest a bad episode of Lost is still better that almost everything else on TV.

During the final flashback when Liam and Charlie walk past a wall on the way to the underground station it is full of graffiti and posters. Is there anything of interest on there in the usual Lost Easter egg fashion, I watched the episode on a laptop at work and it was too grainy to tell. Need some high definition help!

[aaobuttons]

Pretty interesting episode, I think it helped to make Charlie more sympathetic (I didn't like him the last few episodes, too crazy psycho stalker for me) and finally got me off my fence for Locke (I've fallen into the dislike side now). Not every episode can be about Jack and the Others.

I did like the comment Charlie made about how Kate saw a horse and nearly everyone has seen Walt running around and everything's fine but as soon as he dreams that Aaron is in danger everyone thinks he's on drugs!

I had some wild theories that my husband laughed at me for, but I'd like to know what anyone who hasn't read spoilers for future episodes thinks about them.
1. I think Libby is a porn star or something equally weird. Hurley said he thought he knew her, and she sort of freaked out and tried to cover it up with a lame story (which might be true, I just don't think he would have remembered that).
2. I think Locke is drugging Charlie with the heroin to separate him from Claire and put himself in the role of protector. Charile has been acting weird, but I don't think he's using. He didn't know why he was having those weird dreams or taking Aaron, and a user would have realized it was a trip. Heroin can be put into food or liquid, and the filling up the water bottle gave me the hint. And Locke knew where the plane was, and could have made his own secret stash at any time.

[Tok'Ra Hostess]

1. I think Libby is a porn star or something equally weird.

I agree. She's definitely hiding something.

2. I think Locke is drugging Charlie with the heroin to separate him from Claire and put himself in the role of protector.

Ooh, that's an interesting take on Locke, and consistent with his character - he did drug Boone, after all, and Charlie's dream had an "agenda" type feel to it. Your wild theory makes more sense than mine.

[yaaayoubetcha]

1. I think Libby is a porn star or something equally weird.

what's weird about being a porn star? i had to pay my way thru college somehow...

2. I think Locke is drugging Charlie with the heroin to separate him from Claire and put himself in the role of protector.

i was thinking that Locke might be doing something to undermine Charlie, though not neccesarily drugging him. a few people have access to the weapons locker, so putting the statues there isn't really hiding them. i do think Locke is definately trying to put himself into Aaron's life though. For good or ill? (Locke's perspective, of course).


overall, i thought it was a pretty pointless ep. we knew the baby would be in danger...they told us that last season...so that was not big news.

i think this was a badly done crutch ep...they needed a transition from the first part of the season's stories to whatever's going to happen going forward and as charlie points out...everybody sees walt...nobody cares...all the other strange things that go on and nobody cares...but charlie gets a bit of a freaky of his own and suddenly it's the tar addict having problems...we the audience know he's clean, but the other survivors should know as well. it's hard for an addict to function well and hide problems in that small a group in that confined a space...i think, realistically (i know, it's tv) they'd know for sure that he wasn't using...

oh well....it's an hr i can't get back but hopefully it's the only hr i won't have liked for the season.

[ItsDan]

I interpreted Locke keeping the drugs as just a practicality issue. Better to have them and not need them than destroy them and need them. Someone might be injured and need some heavy narcotics, or as was suggested, he might want them to 'setup' Charlie later if he feels Charlie poses a threat to the group.

[Darren]

It's nice to see a Charlie episode again, but the flashbacks/dreams didn't really go anywhere. They demonstrated his lack of touch with reality, his desire to save and take care of those he loves, and his attempts to pull himself out of the gutter and make something of his life again. That fit well with the episode, but all in all, it wasn't anything new.

The cool thing about the episode is that Charlie isn't using, yet he is being treated like he is (and is rather acting like he is, frankly). Ever since he discovered a new supply of heroine we the audience have been living with this threat that he might go back, even after his amazing break from addiction in "The Moth." What a great idea to have an episode where he doesn't go back to using, but is found out and treated like a wacked-out addict anyway.

Locke -- he almost gets as much development as Charlie in a Charlie episode. He's definitely being set up as a potential bad guy, which isn't new. The writers tend to drop not-so-subtle hints that he's got a nasty plan hatching, then make him a protagonist for several episodes so that we forget.

Unanswered question: Why is Charlie going coo-koo? Having odd dreams is no biggy; having a lucid dream while you are sleep-baby-snatching is entirely over the top. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Locke has been lacing Charlie's water in order to assert himself in between Charlie and Claire. And other nefarious purposes heretofor unrevealed!

[Vee]

ii think this was a badly done crutch ep...they needed a transition from the first part of the season's stories to whatever's going to happen going forward and as charlie points out...everybody sees walt...nobody cares...all the other strange things that go on and nobody cares...but charlie gets a bit of a freaky of his own and suddenly it's the tar addict having problems...we the audience know he's clean, but the other survivors should know as well. it's hard for an addict to function well and hide problems in that small a group in that confined a space...i think, realistically (i know, it's tv) they'd know for sure that he wasn't using...

Would they? People seem to be wandering off into the jungle on a regular basis, including Charlie. They had no idea what he was doing out there. I don't think it's far fetched that people would put two and two together and assume he'd gone off to use, particularly after he started acting crazy. If they thought he was using before this episode I'd be skeptical. But his behavior here didn't exactly make him appear sober.

It may not be fair, especially since we know he wasn't using. Unfortunately though, when you have an addict around and he starts acting wild it's hard not to think the worst.

I'm also not sure the space is as confined as it used to be. It looks like security has grown rather lax. I think the survivors are settling in. But they also appear to be going off and doing their own thing away from the group anytime now. I'm not saying people wouldn't notice things. However, the group doesn't seem as close knit as it was before.

[GatetheWay]

But if Locke really is trying to drive a wedge between Charlie and Claire why didn't he show Clarie the Marys when they were in his pack? That would of easily of destroyed any remainding trust Clarie had in Charlie.